Growing up
by Miko Cohen
Summary: This is a story about Inuyasha and Kagome. Kagome becomes a new person, and Inuyasha has grown up protecting his mother, Kagome's mother, and Kagome herself. I don't own Inuyasha, though who doesn't wish they did? Please read and review my story!
1. Chapter 1

It seemed as though the sun would never rise, as Inuyasha dashed trough the forest, searching for an answer… an answer to the painful memory that had opened up into his mind. A memory that wasn't his…

Kagome screamed as she jumped down from the building's roof. Sprinting around to the back of the slide, she ducked and watched. Silence greeted her straining ears, and she leaned to the side as she took another peek from behind the slide. No one stood there. Confused, Kagome stood and walked towards the swings. Brushing the sand of the playground of her skirt, she sat on the seat and pushed her feet on the ground to gain air. Was he mad at her? She hoped not…

Creeping up behind the girl, a boy wrapped his arms around her and covered her eyes and mouth. Kagome tried to stifle a scream, but couldn't break away from him enough. Instead she opened her mouth and felt fingers slide into her cavern. With a satisfying yelp from the boy, she let her teeth sink into his flesh and pulled back from his grasp. Running a few yards away, she turned to face a boy, about a foot taller than herself with long white hair. She took her fighting stance, grinning evilly.

"What's wrong, mutt face? Isn't that your nickname?" she cooed watching his face get even redder.

"You bitch! You're gonna pay for that! I'll rip your throat out!" he screamed back in response.

Used to threats such as these, Kagome only put on her innocent face, holding her hands behind her back and crossing her foot behind her other leg. Her eyes got really big, and her mouth drooped into a cute frown.

"Why, Inuyasha! That's no way to talk to a lady!" she teased, skipping up to him and planting a kiss on his cheek.

Inuyasha's face went brick red and he hid his blush with a fake angry glare at her as he reached out and grabbed her wrist. Kagome tried to pull away, but he grabbed her other wrist and pulled her towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Kagome looked into his golden orbs, scared of what might happen. He might actually hit her today…

"I'll let you save face for now, Higurashi. But don't push it anymore. I don't like it when you do that, and I swear I will hurt you next time. Besides, it's getting late, we have to get home, or our moms are gonna butcher us!" Inuyasha told her as he swung her onto his back and began on their journey home.

Kagome held onto his shoulders and waited for him to say something else. When he didn't, she moved her head down so that her mouth was next to his cute dog ear and whispered, "I'm sorry, tomodachi…I was only playing. I won't do that again. I swear."

Inuyasha just grunted, but inside his heart was pounding and he couldn't help but think in response to her I'm sorry too, Kagome.'

The rest of the time they were quiet, but Kagome didn't mind as she fell asleep on his back. He was her best friend. She was only seven years old, and she would never stop thanking the skies for meeting him. Never in all of time would she ask for another half-demon to be her savior…


	2. Chapter 2

Finally Inuyasha reached their houses. It was getting late, and their mothers were worried.

"Inuyasha! What took so long? You're only a little pup, what if you got hurt? Or Kagome!" his mother cried out as soon as he set her down on the porch.

"HA HA CHAN! Knock it off! I'm not a pup! We were just playing tag, and didn't see how dark it was! Geez!"

Kagome smiled as she walked over to the hanyou and hugged him goodnight. She ran up to his mother and hugged her, too.

"Night night, Auntie!" she squeaked and ran to her own mother to bury her face in her tummy. Her mother was quite short for her age. But the mothers were young and beautiful as were their children.

"Keh, night wench. You better be ready for school tomorrow! I'm not waiting for you next time!" Inuyasha growled and stomped into the house to go to bed. He felt a little guilty for being mean to her earlier but she had called him names and had forced him to take her to the playground in the first place! Stomping up the stairs, he passed his mother's work room where she wrote and sewed all day. He came to an abrupt halt at the next door…it was open.

That door was never EVER open….it was only cracked a tiny bit, and the lights inside were turned on like usual. He peeked silently into the crack and his eyes widened. Tripping over backwards, he stumbled over the rug and tumbled down the hallway right back to the foot of the stairs. Cursing up a storm he stood and ran for his room, right past The Door. Gasping for air as he made it into the last room at the end of the hall, up in the attic, he pulled the steps up and locked it so no one could come up. His terrified look softened and his breathing slowed, as he walked over to the window. It looked directly into Kagome's room, which was also in the attic.

A warm comfort spread over his body as he watched the mortal slip under the sheets and cuddle up next to her little inu stuffed animal. Drifting off into his own world he leaned on the window sill and slightly smiled.

"Oyasumi nasai, Kagome-chan" he whispered to the little girl.

He wasn't sure, but when he opened his window and turned to get undressed, he swore he heard a voice whisper back, "Oyasumi, Inu-sama…"

9 years later

Inuyasha awoke to the sound of his alarm clock at five in the morning. He had to go to work after school. Stupid job. Rolling over, he smashed his hand on the snooze button and sat up in bed. Hopefully today would be a better day.

Every morning was the same; waking up to a crispy cold breeze from his open window, and staring out into the room across from his. There was always a sweet scent coming from that room. Growling softly and yawning, he stood up and walked over to his own shower in his room. A nice warm stream rained down on his hand and he removed his clothes and stepped under it. The water droplets embraced his firm abs, and strong shoulders, trailing down to his nicely shaped lower regions. He scrubbed his scalp vigorously and almost cut into it with his claws again. He was too tired to notice though, that he was scrubbing to close to his ear and he nicked it.

"Great, this is going to be a grand day," he thought, as he flattened his dog ears on the top of his head. His long white hair reached down to touch his lower back. It was one thing he hated about himself, that he was half human. If he was a demon, he could protect his mother better, but he was angry that she was a human herself. The townspeople called her a whore, and she slept with a demon that left her when she announced her pregnancy, and went back to his other mistress who had birthed him a full demon. Inuyasha had never met his half brother, and he didn't want to.

He grumpily smacked the shower nozzle away and pushed in the knob to turn it off. Stepping back out into the cold, his exposed body took in the comforting wind and he sighed in a relaxed sort of way. He'd try harder today not to get into any fights over stupid things, because today, she was coming back. It was today that she'd get a ride to school with him just like when they were kids. Yes, today would be a really good day…

Kagome showered and dressed and walked over to her bed. She spread the blanket and smoothed it then turned around and smiled at the sleeping boy in the room across from hers. It was only a matter of time until he opened his beautiful golden eyes, and she feasted on his appearance once more. Hopefully he wouldn't hate her for this….

Walking over to her vanity mirror, she peered at her own reflection and mentally kicked herself. That face was the same but what about that shiny nose ring? She'd been away at her dad's house for the summer and a few weeks through school. He'd kidnapped her and brought her to his home so that she could make money for him. She hated her father for multiple reasons; he'd left her mother before she was born and hadn't wanted her in the first place. He even tried to force her to get an abortion. They were only 16 when Kagome was born. When she was three he kidnapped her for the first time, and he tried to touch her in wrong places. She was young but not stupid.

He'd also at one point in time asked her to sell drugs at her school for him and this time he took her away to be a slut in his house and make him money. She refused, but agreed to help him get a real job and such. As much as she was angry at him, she knew that he WAS in fact her father by blood. She always thought the only family she would need would be her mother, Kanako, and of course Mieko, Inuyasha's mother.

But life could always prove to be wrong couldn't it?

Picking up her school bag, she glanced out the window once more to see a very shirt-lacking hanyou spraying himself down with cologne. He hated the smell, and she knew it… She smiled and heavily walked down the stairs to eat breakfast and wait for her best friend to pick her up.

Inuyasha scarfed down his breakfast of oatmeal and raisins, chugged his milk and belched loudly as his mother walked in.

"Oi…anou….Inuyasha? Is that smell coming from you? Arigato Kami! ARIGATO! He smells clean for once!" she fell to her knees and clasped her hands together with a very evil smirk on her face as she closed her eyes and pretended to pray.

Ignoring her comment, he leaned down to peck her on the cheek, "Arigato Okaasan, love you, too. I'm going now."

"Oh! Say hello to Kanako for me! Love you too son I always do!"

He smiled at her one more time, then left the woman dancing in circles, relishing in his fresh, clean scent. He laughed as he walked down the steps of his house and right back up the ones to Kanako's. He knocked on the door and heard the woman cry, "Come on in, Inuyasha!"

He took a deep breath, and turned the knob for the door.

Ok now, a few Japanese words in here… their meanings are:

Ha ha chan – mama/mommy

Inu -- dog

Oyasumi nasai -- good night

Aritgato -- thank you

Anou… -- uhmmm…..

Kami -- God


End file.
